


The Way I Love You

by mysticmajestic



Series: The Way We Are [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Birthday Party, Engagement, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 04:01:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15699738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysticmajestic/pseuds/mysticmajestic
Summary: After their engagement the night before in front of the entire Martinez family, Lance and Shiro decide to spring the news to their best friends at Lance's birthday party.





	The Way I Love You

**Author's Note:**

> I noticed in the first part that I didn't add Shay in. Well, I'm going to go back and add her name in, since she and Hunk are in a relationship in this fic and I can't believe I forgot her in the first place.
> 
> Please read the first part for clarity!

“Yes, Hunk, I’ll make sure we’re there at exactly six o’clock.” Lance grins, extending his hand above his head to stare once more at his engagement ring. The sight of it never fails to take his breath away. “No earlier, no later … No, I won’t bring anything. Hunk, buddy, I love you, but you have got to stop stressing.”

Muttering under his breath, Shiro shifts over in bed and throws his leg over Lance’s waist, nuzzling as close as he can into Lance. He’s sound asleep, the third round of sex having knocked him out for a while. Stifling a yawn, Lance reminds himself to set his alarm before he goes down for a nap himself—once he’s finished reassuring Hunk that they’ll be on time, that is.

“Buddy,” says Hunk seriously, “everything has to be perfect. It’s your birthday! You’re going to have the best night of your life if I have anything to say about it.”

The silver engagement ring glimmered in the afternoon light. “I know I will. Thanks, Hunk. You were always my best friend for a reason.”

“And don’t you ever forget about it.”

Lance laughs. “If I do, you’ll always be there to remind me. See you tonight.”

“See you—and remember! _Exactly_ six o’clock.”

“You got it. Bye-bye.”

Disconnecting the call, Lance quickly sets his alarm and then tosses the phone aside, shifting onto his side to cradle Shiro close. Lulled by the warmth and the safety of that moment, he was quick to fall asleep.

 

* * *

 

6:05 was still 6:00 in Lance’s book.

Hunk decided to host Lance’s birthday party at his and Shay's house, utilising his state-of-the-art kitchen to cook all the food. His insistence came with a side-order of puppy-dog eyes the moment Lance decided he wanted to have a small party, and there is no way that anyone with a soul can say no to Hunk’s puppy-dog eyes. They are _killer_.

As they pull up into the gutter just a little way’s down from Hunk’s house, Lance takes another moment to admire the ring on his finger. He can’t help it; the ring is gorgeous and a symbol that he is to be married to the love of his life.

The proposal still feels like somewhat of a fantasy, especially since he hasn’t been able to post pictures on Facebook; they want to surprise their friends with it. They’d all been ‘subtly’ asking them “when the hell are you guys gonna tie the knot? It’s been ten years!” and he can’t wait to see their faces.

Scrambling out of and around the car, Shiro opens Lance’s door just as Lance unbuckles his seatbelt. Like the cute little dork he is, he holds out his hand for Lance to take, bending to kiss his knuckles. When Lance is upright, closing the car door behind himself, Shiro winds their arms together and escorts Lance down the street and up the drive to Hunk’s front door.

It’s moments like these that Lance loves; arm in arm with his fiancé, the street dead quiet around them except for the chirping of the birds, and the inky black sky twinkling with scattered stars. The world is entirely theirs.

After all they’ve been through together, Lance will never stop being grateful that they pushed through the hard times together. They made it. Every time it felt like the world would collapse under their feet, they kept going, forging a life together. _They made it_.

Wiping their shoes off on the doormat, Lance stops Shiro from opening the door. At Shiro’s questioning look, Lance reached up and pinched his chin lightly, pulling him down for a kiss so sweet his toes curl.

“I love you,” he says.

Shiro’s cheeks turn a gorgeous rosy colour. “I love you, too.”

The front door whips open.

“And I’d like some of Hunk’s food because I’m starving,” says Pidge, folding her arms over her chest and levelling them with an unimpressed glare. “But he won’t let us have any until you guys get in. So, stop being so sickeningly sweet and _get in here_.”

She turns and marches down the hallway, veering left into Hunk’s kitchen, leaving the front door open. Shiro and Lance share an expressionless glance for all of a second before the façade breaks, and they burst into hearty laughter.

“We better go inside before she comes back and drags us by the scruff,” says Shiro.

“As if she could reach it, Shiro.”

“I can hear you, Lance Martinez!” Pidge calls out waspishly. “Don’t tempt me into trying.”

Shiro rocks back on his heels in a fully-body laugh, tickled by the sight of Lance’s dumbfounded, almost terrified expression. Squeezing Lance’s hand again, Shiro takes the initiative and leads him inside. Stepping into the dark living room lit with only a bunch of candles and the lights from the kitchen twenty feet away, there’s a cry of “Hey!” from the people inside. In the corner near the entertainment unit sits a massive pile of presents that Lance sees all for a second before he’s swamped.

“Birthday boy!” Matt shouts, and tackles Lance in a hug, ripping Shiro’s hand from his. “How many birthday punches do I owe you?”

“Oh, no,” says Lance. “No way. Your birthday punches _hurt_.”

“Mine or Pidge’s,” Matt replies, stepping to the side of Lance to wrap his arm around his shoulders. “Those are your options.”

“That’s not fair!”

“A lot of things in life aren’t far, Lancey-Lance. Suck it up. Now choose whose birthday punches you want! Gotta keep the tradition up.”

Hunk, the light of Lance’s life, an absolute miracle of a human being, chooses then to call out, “Dinner’s all done, guys! Come get it before it gets cold.”

As everyone immediately races for the kitchen table, upon which there’s a massive serving of steaming hot food, Matt says mock-seriously to Lance, “Don’t think you’ve escaped. I’ll get those birthday punches when you least expect it!” and then darts for an empty seat near the gravy boat. The only other person in the living room with Lance is Shiro.

“Should we tell them now or after dinner?” he asks, slipping his hand back into Lance’s.

“After. Let them enjoy their food first.” For good measure, Lance slips his engagement ring off his finger and into his pocket. He doesn’t want to risk anyone seeing it and asking questions before he has a chance to surprise them with the news. Leaning up, Lance pecks a kiss against Shiro’s lips. “I love you.”

Shiro smiles against Lance’s lips, twitching his head ever so slightly so that the tip of his nose rubs against Lance’s. “Love you, too.”

“Will you guys hurry up and sit down already?!” Pidge yells. “We’re waiting on you _again_.”

Grinning sheepishly at each other, Lance and Shiro hurried to claim the last free chairs at the lovingly cramped kitchen table.

 

* * *

 

After dinner, stuffed full of great food and talking amongst each other sleepily, Hunk exclaims that it’s time for birthday presents. Giving Shiro a look, Lance gets a nod in reply. It’s time.

Discreetly slipping his engagement ring back on, Lance stands and says, “Actually, before we do that,” Shiro comes up and stands next to him, “Shiro and I have an announcement to make.”

He lets the suspense drag on for a few moments, then holds his hand up, ring glittering in the light. There’s a sharp intake of breath.

“Last night at dinner with my family, Shiro got down on one knee and asked me the question I’ve been longing to hear from the moment I met him.” Lance grins so wide his cheeks hurt. “We’re getting married!”

There’s a beat of silence, broken violently by Hunk who absolutely _screams_. Surging forward, he snatches both Lance and Shiro in a tight hug, so ecstatic he’s crying and jumping up and down.

“Oh my gosh!” he says. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I’m so happy for you guys! I can’t believe it!”

Matt comes up behind Shiro, slapping him on the back. “Fucking hell, about time! I thought you’d never get around to putting a ring on it. Beyoncé finally managed to get her message through your thick skull.”

“Lance,” says Shay, tears sparkling in her eyes, “I am so pleased for you. This is absolutely wonderful news!”

“I wanna be the best man!” Pidge shouts.

“If you think you’re going to be Lance’s best man, you can claw the position from my cold, dead hands,” says Hunk seriously.

“And mine,” Keith adds, grinning as he slapped his hand against Shiro’s in a handshake, other hand coming up to clap him on the shoulder. “I’ve been telling him to do this for _years_.”

“We did also have a pact that we’d be each other’s best man,” Shiro adds, eyes red-rimmed and puffy from crying, unable to stop grinning.  

“Don’t worry, Pidge,” says Lance thickly, wiping tears from his eyes before he wraps her in a hug too, “you can be the flower girl.”

“Only if I get to make the flowers myself,” says Pidge. She squeezes him so tight he thinks his ribs will break. “Everyone needs mechanical flowers thrown at their heads in honour of a gay wedding. I can get them to play the recording of you drunk-singing Glamorous that I took three years ago.”

“Don’t you _dare_.”

“I know you guys only just got engaged,” says Shay, “but do you have a date in mind for the wedding? I want to help with the decorations.”

Shay owned an Etsy shop where she created things like candles, embroidery, and even clothing, and everything sold like hotcakes thanks to her dedicated following. With a degree in interior design to boot, she’s one of the most talented people Lance knows. There’s even been talk of her and Hunk opening a business together, combining his culinary and engineering talents with her artistic ones, though as far as Lance knows that’s pretty slow-going.

“We haven’t really talked about it yet,” says Lance. “But as soon as we figure out the dates, you and Hunk will be the first to know.”

He knows Hunk will want to make all the food, too. He knows he’s incredibly lucky to have such amazingly talented people as his best friends.

Shay grins sweetly. “Thank you, Lance.”

“Alright, alright,” says Hunk, finally, “but we really do need to get to the birthday presents now.”

Lance ends up with several hand-made candles, the glass holder delicately engraved in flowing cursive that he can’t read in the low light (but he kisses Shay on the cheek for, making her beam); an elegant silver dagger (Keith’s go-to present); two tickets to Beyoncé’s concert (“HUNK!” Lance screams when he sees them. “I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU!” All Hunk does is grin cheekily); and box sets for Stargate Atlantis, Star Trek, and the extended editions of Lord of the Rings he’s been meaning to buy (joint presents from Pidge and Matt).

“This is amazing, guys, thank you!” says Lance, surrounded not only by all his presence but the love and warmth of his second family.

“I propose a Lord of the Rings marathon soon!” says Pidge, grinning. “Just a whole day of all of us lying around eating junk food, watching the beautiful Cate Blanchett.”

Hunk frowns, getting up to grab Lance a reusable bag for his presents, then helping him put them in. “She’s not even in the movies for that long.”

“Then we pause the entire marathon and stare at her face for ten hours.”

“Take shots every time Frodo makes a weird orgasm face,” says Matt. “The ring starts doing its magic, and then he gets a face like—” He scrunches his face up, eyes rolling into the back of his head.

“We’d die of alcohol poisoning,” Shiro replies, deadpan. “I actually want to live to get married.”

“We should have it next Saturday,” says Lance. “The marathon, I mean, not the marriage. Is everyone else free then?” There’s a round of assent from the others. “Then it’s settled.”

They continue talking and laughing well into the night, switching the television on to some random reality show for background noise, until the clocks tick toward two in the morning and they all decide it is time to wrap up the little party.

Lance walks sleepily back to the car, Shiro’s arm wound around his shoulders. The present bag is clutched in Shiro’s spare hand. Around them, the street is quiet and empty. A dog barks when Shiro presses the button on the key fob to unlock the car. It’s the only noise save for the other cars pulling away from Hunk’s house.

“Tonight was great,” says Lance, once he’s nestled in his seat. Blinks heavily, ready to fall asleep at a moment’s notice.

“It was,” says Shiro, shutting the door behind himself. “Can’t believe we’re going to see Beyoncé.”

“I know!” Lance laughs. “Hunk is a national treasure.”

“That he is, that he is.”

They peel away from the curb, letting a comfortable silence fall between them. Steadily, Lance drifts off, until he wakes up to notice that he’s being pulled from the car, up and into the warmth of Shiro’s arms. They’re out the front of their own house, though he has no recollection of getting there.

“Shh,” Shiro whispers. “Go back to sleep. I’ve got you.”

And as Lance drifts back off to sleep, he hopes Shiro always will.


End file.
